Bob Finnan's NBA notes: Cavaliers could go international route early in draft

Mindaugas Kulbis/Associated PressJonas Valanciunas — shown getting ready to dunk during a Euroleague game for Lithuania’s BC Lietuvos rytas on Nov. 17 — has been linked to the Cavaliers with the second of their two lottery picks in the draft.

There was one international prospect selected in the first round of the 2010 NBA draft.

It's going to be a different story in 2011.

As many as nine internationals could be drafted in the opening round, including as many as five in the lottery (top 14).

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Don't be shocked if the Cavaliers climb aboard the international express. At least three high-profile collegiate players have decided to stay in school, which has put more emphasis on the international prospects.

The Cavs have two lottery picks -- their own, which is ranked No. 2 overall heading into the May 17 draft lottery; and the Clippers' selection, ranked No. 8. The Cavs acquired that pick in the Baron Davis trade.

Cavs general manager Chris Grant just returned from a trip to Europe. It's imperative the Cavs get a handle on the international prospects in this draft.

There were a record eight international players picked in the first round in 2003. That mark could be shattered this season. Here are some names you need to know:

-- Enes Kanter, Turkey, center, 6-foot-10, 255 pounds: For a player who didn't play this season, his stock remains extremely high. He seems to be the most complete big man in the draft and the one most ready to play in the NBA.

He was ineligible to play at Kentucky this season. Everyone, though, isn't high on him.

"I'm not a big Kanter fan," NBA Draft Insider's Kristofer Habbas said. "I think he's living off one big game in the Hoop Summit. I heard he put on 15, 20 pounds over his (ideal) playing weight."

Kanter scored a Nike Hoop Summit-record 33 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in the 2010 game in Portland against a Team USA front line that included Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Florida's Patric Young, Kentucky's Terrence Jones and North Carolina's Harrison Barnes.

According to ESPN.com's Fran Fraschilla, if the 19-year-old Kanter had played college basketball this year, he would have had the same impact on Kentucky that Sullinger did with the Buckeyes.

Fraschilla said Kanter invites contact around the basket, has good footwork and has a nice shooting touch out to the college 3-point line.

The consensus is Kanter isn't a superior athlete and he might not have a lot of upside. Habbas said Kanter will play center in the NBA.

"He's a good rebounder, but not a great one," he said.

Habbas agrees Kanter is the most ready to play -- if he's near his playing shape of 255 pounds.

"If he's in shape, he'll be the most impactful (international player)," he said.

Fraschilla reports Kanter is working out in Chicago with famed NBA skills guru Tim Grover. He's a player on the Cavs' radar if they land the No. 2 or 3 pick in the draft.

He reminds scouts of Al Jefferson.

-- Jan Vesely, Czech Republic, power forward, 6-11, 240: He's one of the best athletes in the draft. Fraschilla predicted Vesely would win an NBA dunk contest someday.

Some observers seem to think he can play small forward in the NBA, which might be a stretch. He has a good motor, runs the floor well and moves great without the ball.

Habbas said Vesely is a "stretch 4."

"He has a good set 3-point shot," Habbas said. "His biggest skill is his ability to stretch the floor. He has a combination of athleticism, rebounding and hustle."

He reminds scouts of Andrei Kirilenko.

-- Bismack Biyombo, Congo, power forward, 6-9, 243: Fraschilla guarantees no more than three teams knew who Biyombo was before January. Now he's going to be a lottery pick.

Defensively, he could be a force early on in the NBA because of his 7-7 wingspan, strength and athleticism. He burst upon the scene in last month's Hoop Summit with a triple-double.

But as good as he could be defensively, he's just as raw offensively. That's why scouts don't compare him to countryman Serge Ibaka, who can make a mid-range jump shot.

"The issue I have is whether he can catch the ball," Habbas said. "He doesn't have the greatest hands. I don't like the Ibaka comparison. It's more like Ben Wallace when he first came to the league."

Habbas said he's seen Biyombo ranked as high as No. 3 on some draft boards.

"I'm vehemently against that," he said. "But he'll likely go in the top 10."

He reminds scouts of Wallace.

-- Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania, forward/center, 6-11, 230: Scouts are raving about his potential. But he's probably the least ready of the international prospects scheduled to be drafted in the lottery.

"In this draft, I like him the most," Habbas said. "He has the potential to do everything. But he doesn't do anything great. He does outwork everyone.

"He needs to spend one or two more years in Europe."

Valanciunas turned 19 on Friday. Fraschilla said his size, agility and athleticism make him very enticing for a team willing to wait for him to physically mature. Would that be enough for a team such as the Cavs to bypass him in the draft? They need immediate help, something he won't be able to provide. On the other hand, they're not going to be very good next year and might be able to wait for Valanciunas to mature.

ESPN.com's Chad Ford has the Cavs taking Valanciunas with the eighth pick in his latest mock draft.

He reminds scouts of Andris Biedrins.

-- Donatas Motiejunas, Lithuania, center, 7-0, 230: Motiejunas is not as physically strong as Kanter, nor is he as athletic as Vesely or Valanciunas. But he might be the most polished post player of the group. Fraschilla said Motiejunas almost shies away from contact and doesn't pass the ball well. He said his basketball instincts are average.

On the plus side, Motiejunas is a good mid-range shooter who can play the pick-and-roll.

Fraschilla said he doesn't think Motiejunas' ceiling is as high as the other three Europeans who could go in the lottery. His game experience, however, will get him on an NBA floor as soon as any international player in this draft.

Habbas likes aspects of Motiejunas' game.

"He has every intangible skill," he said. "He can rain from the 3-point line. He's rail thin. He's not a good defender or rebounder.

"Both (him and Valanciunas) are likely to stay (in Europe) another year. The potential lockout is scaring a lot of these European players."

He reminds scouts of Yi Jianlian.

There are several other internationals who could go in the first round, including Montenegro's Nikola Mirotic (6-10, 225), Brazil's Lucas Nogueira (7-0, 200), Croatia's Bogan Bogdanovic (6-7, 220) and Latvia's Davis Bertans (6-10, 210).

"There could be eight or nine in the first round," Habbas said. "It would be a record. None of them are home runs. There's a red flag with all of them."

Rumor mill

-- Kentucky forward Terrence Jones (6-8, 244) announced via Twitter on Saturday that he will return to school. He found out that the more scouts evaluated his game, the more faults they were finding. He doesn't shoot well enough to play the "3" spot and isn't big enough to play power forward.

-- Jones' college teammate, point guard Brandon Knight (6-3, 180), will stay in the draft. He's extremely long and can shoot. He needs to work on his point guard skills, but is climbing up the draft charts. Some pundits rank him ahead of UConn's Kemba Walker (6-0, 175). Sources say the Cavs might have interest in Knight.

-- Some scouts think Washington State's Klay Thompson (6-6, 202) is the most complete shooting guard in the draft. Colorado's Alec Burks (6-6, 200) might have something to say about that. Thompson's father, Mychal, helped the Lakers win two championships. He's now a member of their broadcast team.

-- The man with the golden voice, Ted Williams, is no longer associated with the Cavs. The homeless man was offered a position with the team, but it never came to fruition. He's reportedly back in drug and alcohol rehab.

Information for the NBA notebook was gathered by personal interviews and from other beat writers around the league. Finnan can be reached by e-mail at:RFinnan@News-Herald.com